Welding apparatuses are typically used to joint two pieces of metal or plastic together. There are many different types of welding apparatuses, including arc welders, laser welders, ultrasonic welders, and so forth. Some welding apparatuses may use electrical energy in order to perform their task, which can conveniently be accessed from the local electrical grid. Accordingly, many welding apparatuses have an electrical cable and a plug which facilitates plugging the welding apparatus into the local electrical grid. The electrical cable may comprise a grounding conductor and a plurality of power conductors which are configured to carry the electrical energy from the plug to the welding apparatus in order to supply the energy necessary to operate the welding apparatus.
The power conductors and grounding conductor of the welding apparatus can be mis-wired when the welding apparatus is manufactured or can become mis-wired after the welding apparatus is serviced. For example, the grounding conductor and one of the power conductors may be inadvertently swapped. Such a condition may cause the welding apparatus to operate improperly. Thus, it may be desirable to test the welding apparatus to determine if the grounding conductor or power conductors are mis-wired before plugging the welding apparatus into the local electrical grid.